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Dating back to some 2,500 years ago, these iron age forts consist of stone ramparts which encircle the crest of a rounded hill within which stone or wood dwellings would have been constructed. Good examples which are accessible for visitors include Yeavering Bell, near Wooler; Brough Law in the Breamish Valley, near Ingram; Ros Castle, near Chillingham; and Lordenshaw Fort near Rothbury.
Northumberland is one of the richest areas of Britain for its archaeological treasures. In addition to the pre-historic monuments described here, other major sites include Hadrian's Wall, the County's many castles and fortified buildings, country houses and the remains of its Christian and Industrial Heritage.
There are several excellent sites in the County which present archaeological reconstructions:
At Dunstan Hill, not far from Embleton on the Northumberland coast, an "iron age" dwelling has been rebuilt, close to some remaining ramparts. The dwelling is made from wood, heather, cow dung, mud, stones, straw and binder twine. Brigantium on the A68 at Rochester is an archeological centre with reconstructions of a Romano-British farm and round house; a Mesolithic hunting camp and rock shelter; Roman defences and a Roman road; and a bronze age burial and stone circle. At Vindolanda, near Hadrian's Wall there reconstructions of a number of Roman buildings including a temple and a section of Hadrian's Wall. More details about Brigantium and Vindolanda are included in the Roman Northumberland section.
A review of recent archaeology finds and research in Northumberland is published annually by the County Council. It is available, free of charge, from the "Council Publications" section of the Northumberland On-Line Giftshop. The "Bookshop" section of the Giftshop also stocks a book titled "The Tides of Time", concerning the archaeology of the Northumberland coast. For further information, please contact:
The County Archaeologist, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth, England, NE61 2EF.
After the Romans left Britain, there began a series of invasions from Northern Europe. The middle and east of Britain was settled by a Germanic tribe known as the Angles whilst south Britain was conquered by the Saxons. The merging of two Angle kingdoms in the early 7th century (Bernicia and Deira) led to the creation of a new Kingdom with its capital at Bamburgh. It stretched from Hull to Edinburgh and was named "Northumbria" - the land north of the River Humber. The kingdom was soon acknowledged as the most important of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, (the 7 English kingdom's of that time).
After King Oswald of Northumbria won the battle of Heavenfield (see below), he invited the Christian monks of Iona to establish a Priory on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which they did in 635 AD. The Priory became one of the most important seats of Christian learning in Western Europe, its greatest bishop being St Cuthbert. After Cuthbert's death in 696AD, the Priory produced possibly the 7th century's greatest work of art, the beautiful Lindisfarne Gospels, now housed in the British Library. A "Turning the Pages" computer-based version of the Gospels can be seen at the Lindisfarne Heritage Centre (see below) and at the Woodhorn Colliery Museum in Ashington. You may also wish to visit the North East Museums, Libraries, & Archives Council website which has useful information and images of the Gospels to download